The start of
a new school year is exciting for some children, scary for others. It takes all our best teaching techniques,
patience and empathy to get everyone moving forward positively. Moving – that’s the operative word for
this month’s blog!

Stamp your feet!

Music &
Movement can be the perfect distraction for children to forget their worries
and join in. Or not – some may watch at
first. It’s been my experience that if I
wait, give them an encouraging nod and smile, wait some more – they DO get the
confidence to get up and move.

I start with
a Welcome/Hello song. Then do a zipper
song with sitting movements (“Sticky Bubble Gum” is always a big hit!) Then – LET’S GET DANCING!

Jump up high!

Here’s one
of my favorites:“Everybody Clap Your Hands!”I learned it from the legendry Ella Jenkins. She doesn’t claim to have written it – “It’s
just an old, old song,” she told me. But
it’s transformative – no child can resist it!
There’s nothing really to teach – just follow the instructions built
into the song.

NOTE:
Be sure you do the song, too!
Model participatory behavior.
Hear the song clip HERE. It's track #4.

LYRICS: Everybody clap your hands

Everybody clap your hand

Everybody, come on and clap your hands!

Turn real slow!

V.2
Stamp your feet!

V.3
Jump up high!

V.4
Turn real slow.

V.5
Wiggle around!

V.6 Clap and stamp! (2 things at the same time!)

V.7 Clap, stamp & turn (3 things!)

V.8 Sing – with your tongue sticking out (4 things!):

"Everybody sing along!"

Sing...with your tongue sticking out like this!

Put your tongue back in!

Yup – it gets really silly at the end
with tongues wagging as you sing, clap, stamp and turn around! That’s the fun of it – and school should be
FUN!

NOTE: Take a second to have everyone put their
tongues back in – tap your fingers to your lips. It’ll make everyone smile!

And finally – I am sorry to have been
absent from PreK and K Sharing for so many months. The surgical repair of my hip’s labrum meant
changing priorities in order to meet classroom, concert and professional
development commitments. But I’m back –
almost 100%! Please contact me if you’d
like me to come to your school, library, church or conference. I’m in Chicago, but I travel all over the
world to bring developmentally appropriate music & movement to those who
work with young children!